04/20/2014VATICAN Pope: May the Risen Christ help us to reach out to those who are wounded and bring peace to those who suffer from war and violence Syria, but also Iraq, Nigeria, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Ukraine and Venezuela in Pope Francis’ prayers. " In every human situation, marked by frailty, sin and death, the Good News is no mere matter of words, but a testimony to unconditional and faithful love: it is about leaving ourselves behind and encountering others". Vatican City ( AsiaNews) - May the
Risen Christ, "free and faithful witness of love" help us "leave ourselves behind and encounter
others, be close to those crushed by life's troubles, sharing with the needy"....
04/20/2014VATICAN Pope: The Resurrection, an invitation to rediscover our baptism and become witnesses to Christ At the Easter Vigil Francis speaks of the "return to Galilee, the place where they were first called" where Jesus spoke to the apostles, drawing new energy from the sources of our faith". "It is not to go back in time; it is not a kind of nostalgia. It is returning to our first love, in order to receive the fire which Jesus has kindled in the world and to bring that fire to all people, to the very ends of the earth".
04/19/2014VATICAN Way of the Cross: "Evil will not have the last word; love, mercy and forgiveness will," pope says In the Cross of Jesus, we find "all the bitterness of the betrayal perpetrated by Judas and Peter, all the vanity of bullies, and all the arrogance of false friends." Yet, in front of so many evils, "we also see the vastness of God's love for he does not treat us according to our sins but according to his mercy."
04/18/2014IRAQ Chaldean Patriarch celebrates Holy Thursday with disabled and marginalised Christians and Muslims by Joseph Mahmoud Mar Sako visited a residential facility in the Iraqi capital that caters to people with severe disabilities. His Beatitude performed the traditional rite of 'Washing of the Feet' on 12 people, including two Muslim women. "Easter is for you," he told the disabled residents. After the service, he offered them a meal, as a token of closeness and sharing.
04/17/2014VATICAN Pope: A priest’s "joy", "anoints", is "incorruptible", "missionary" and guarded by poverty, obedience and loyalty Pope Francis celebrates the Chrism Mass with "his" priests. The priestly joy only flows “when the pastor is in the midst of his flock". Even in "in those moments of listlessness and boredom which at times overcome us in our priestly life (and which I too have experienced), even in those moments God’s people are able to “guard” that joy; they are able to protect you, to embrace you and to help you open your heart to find renewed joy"
04/17/2014SYRIA Gregorios III to set up a forum for Syrian Christian intellectuals to promote a society based on Gospel values by Fady Noun In his Easter message for Easter, the Patriarch of the (Melkite Greek Catholic) Church of Antioch renewed his call for a "truce for life" and an end to the war in Syria." Speaking about the pope's upcoming visit to the Holy Land, he extended a hand of welcome to the pontiff, and thanked him for "his prayer for Syria".
04/17/2014MALAYSIA - PHILIPPINES MERS first victim in Asia: A Malaysian returning from a pilgrimage to Mecca It is similar to SARS, but with a higher mortality rates: 50 % compared to the previous 10 % . The victim was 54 years old and had contracted the virus Saudi Arabia. First case in the Philippines, a nurse returning from the UAE and now in solitary confinement with family members. WHO estimates speak of 238 infections in 10 different countries, 92 victims so far.
04/16/2014HOLY LAND For Christian religious leaders in Jerusalem, Easter brings hope for peace in the region In their traditional Easter message, Christian religious leaders in the Holy Land emphasise that true peace "springs from the Cross and is vindicated by the Resurrection." If peace "does not seek to abolish discrimination between different communities [it] is no peace at all." In their appeal, the religious leaders call on "people of good will" to pray for a resolution to the conflicts.
04/16/2014IRAQ Iraqi government closes Abu Ghraib prison Justice Ministry announces the transfer of 2,400 prisoners to other facilities, raising concerns among lawmakers on the Security and Defence committee of Iraq's parliament. For them, the move sends the wrong message.
04/16/2014IRAQ Mar Sako at Easter, the power of Christ's broken and risen body pushes Iraq to new life by Mar Louis Raphael I Sako The Chaldean Patriarch reminds faithful that "Jesus is the heart " of Easter, "the center of our faith," his resurrection "makes the sun rise" on Iraq and the whole of humanity . His Beatitude exhorts the faithful to come together and pray. Ahead of the upcoming general election, he appeals for a leader who embodies the values of freedom , dignity and social justice .
04/15/2014SYRIA Fr Frans van der Lugt died in Syria, for Syria by Fady Noun A memorial Mass is celebrated in Beirut for the priest killed in Homs. In a message from the superior of Jesuits, Fr Frans is remembered as "a man of reconciliation between generations, between communities, between Christians and Muslims, between cultural and political tendencies."
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